Gregory Afoko
Another prosecution witness in the trial of Gregory Afoko at an Accra High Court has revealed that the accused person misled crime officers in their attempt to arrest one Asabke Alangdi, a suspect in the case who is on the run.
Detective Sergeant Benjamin Kusi, who was part of the patrol team that was informed of the acid attack on the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, told the court that Afoko took them to a different house instead of that of the suspect.
He said by the time they realised that they had gone to the wrong house and returned, the suspect was nowhere to be found.
“The Crime Officer (CO) told us that we should go to Asabke’s house. When we got to Tanzui we asked the accused person to show us Asabke’s house and he did. The CO and his team entered the house leaving Afoko and DSP Agbanyo in the car.
“They came back to tell us that that was not Asabke’s house and that we had already passed his house. We went back to the said house but he was not found,” the court was told.
Detective Sergeant Benjamin Kusi told the court that prior to the cruel incident, he had known the accused person for about four years, “and we usually called him Rasta man.”
He told the court that he did not know the other suspect – Asabke – but only heard the name after the incident.
Led in his evidence-in-chief by Mathew Amponsah, a chief state attorney, Detective Sgt. Kusi, who is the 8th of 15 prosecution witnesses, had been narrating how the late Adams Mahama met his untimely death and the role he played in the arrest of the accused person.
He told the court that they were on patrol duties in Bolgatanga and its environs when one Bombade, the then regional treasurer of the NPP, told them that he heard someone had poured acid on Mr Adams Mahama and that he had been rushed to the regional hospital.
Detective Sergeant Kusi said when they got to the hospital the deceased was lying in bed at the emergency ward with severe burns on the upper parts of his body, as his skin had peeled off.
“At the hospital, Tofic (another witness) told me that Mr Adams told him it was Afoko and one Asabke who poured the acid on him and that if he died they killed him,” the witness told the court.
He corroborated the statement of DSP Agbanyo that Afoko, upon his arrest, wondered why the police were “following this foolish man,” referring to Adams Mahama.
Cross-Examination
During cross-examination by defence lawyer, Osafo Buaben, the witness insisted that Afoko misled crime officers on their way to Asabke’s house to arrest him, although the lawyer maintained that that was not true.
Counsel also insisted that his client (Afoko) did not say anything to the police when he was arrested but Detective Sgt. Kusi told the court that the accused person kept talking in the car in his (witness’) presence.
Asked whether he, together with DSP Agbanyo and Hajia Adams wore gloves before holding the gallon which contained the acid, the witness said he and DSP Agbanyo did not wear anything; but later they washed their hands with soap, while Hajia Adams protected her fingers with a piece of cloth.
When asked whether the patrol team examined the interior of the deceased’s vehicle, the witness said they did not enter it because of the heat and stench emanating from it, and so could not tell the condition of the interior of the vehicle.
The witness again said that when they got to the crime scene, the engine of the vehicle was running, with the lights on; and they were aware that it was Mr Adams who had parked it and left the engine on
Detective Sgt Kusi told the court that before leaving the crime scene, they did not lock the door of the car.
When asked whether the accused had a mobile phone on him when he was arrested, Detective Sgt. Kusi said that he did not see any mobile phone.
His witness statement to the police was later tendered in evidence without objection from the prosecution.
Counsel for the accused ended his cross-examination and the witness was discharged.
Speedy Trial
Meanwhile, the court, presided over by Justice Lawrence L. Mensah, has asked the prosecution to assemble all of its witnesses as he would not accept any excuses.
He said the case must end by the close of next month and urged the prosecution and the defence to brace themselves up for an uninterrupted trial.
Hearing continues on May 28, 2018.
By Gibril Abdul Razak